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Police Investigating Killing of American Woman in UAE

December 03, 2014 10:47 AM

VOA News

This image made from video released by the Abu Dhabi police department on Dec. 2, 2014 shows a veiled suspect in the stabbing of an American teacher in a shopping mall restroom as seen on security camera footage in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Police in the United Arab Emirates are investigating the killing of an American school teacher stabbed to death by a female suspect wearing traditional Muslim clothing.

A police statement says the victim was a 37-year-old American woman who was stabbed Monday by a person wearing a black robe, black gloves and a niqab - a Muslim veil that conceals the face except for the eyes.

Police say they are investigating possible motives. A spokesman says a fight broke out between the victim and the attacker in a women's restroom in a shopping mall in the capital, Abu Dhabi, before the victim was stabbed there by a sharp object.

The assailant escaped after the attack.

The victim was a mother of 11-year-old twins who will remain in police custody until their father arrives from abroad.

The United Arab Emirates hosts millions of foreign workers and has built an image of a relatively open society among Gulf Arab nations. It is part of the U.S.-led coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.